Interview Pack 3

Question 1

How do you establish rapport with patients to alleviate their anxieties before imaging procedures ?

Answer 1

Iniate conversation with them to get them talking and feeling comfortable, ask them their plans for the day , what they did last weekend , if they have plans for the oncoming weekend if the weathers set to be nice

If I see something like their hairs been done , or a nice bag of anything ask them about it , compliment them

Question 2

Describe the process of obtaining informed consent from patients, especially for sensitive exams?

Answer 2

I explain them them the procedure, what’s going to happen , what they are going to have to do.

I explain the risks and benefits of the procedure and the disadvantages of not proceeding

make sure the patient fully understands them

I also make sure they are capable of consenting and making an informed decision

Then in some cases , I get them to sign a consent form like for contrast injections , interventional procedures , CT / MRI consent forms .

With children their parents consent for them

Adults without capacity , a family member can consent on their behalf , ask the referrer if we can continue on and they consent on their behalf . Try later when they are in a more lucid state and are compliant

Question 3

What safety protocols do you follow to prevent patient falls or injuries during transfers?

Answer 3

4 people pat-sliding
Make sure bedrails are on
* read up !!

Question 4

Explain your approach to handling patients with mobility issues or requiring special accommodations.

Answer 4

Ask patient how they feel standing up and doing stuff

Check your patients capabilities

If not possible, try and do with them still in a wheelchair , I can bring the table all the way down so they can pop their leg on the table , or grab a chair and put the detector on it and their leg on top

If it’s a xray that requires them to get on the table , I’ll make sure I bring the table down for them to get on , remember my manual handling techniques to help them up

Sometimes we will have Zuma frames in the room that they can use to get up , then I can assist them getting on the table , by giving instructions, I won’t do anything to strain myself .

Call for help if I need it

Question 5

How do you handle challenging patients during imaging procedures?

Answer 5

Depends on what we mean by challenging

• they refuse to co-operate

Explain to them , the benefits of a procedure , call family member to come in , call colleague to help . If not working we call nurses from ward to come help , call refer and tell them we can’t .

• difficult to position

I’ll show them what I want to do , get into the position myself so they understand what we are trying to achieve

Question 6

How do you verify patient identity and match imaging orders to ensure accurate results?

Answer 6

3 point ID check , name , DOB , address

If needed I can ask them for their NHS or hospital number that will be on their appointment letter to verify with the one on the imaging order

Question 7

Share an experience where you had to handle a challenging patient situation with empathy and professionalism.

Answer 7

A patient had come in with her father for a CT and wanted to stay in the room during the procedures , she started crying and getting hysterical crying saying she would not allow us to continue unless she stayed in because she was paranoid we would do something with him .

The radiographer , gave her time to express her concerns and didn’t cut her off when she was explaining that she’s just lost her mom and she died when she told to leave the room during cardiac arrest and she’s not letting it happen again

Then the radiographer showed her sympathy and apologised for her loss but then proceeded to explain what was going to happen during the scan and how she cannot be in the room because of radiation. And it’s gonna bea quick 5 minute scan and we are just getting a image and not doing a procedure

Then she offered to allow her to stand by the door to the control room outside and one of us will stand by the door and narrare what’s happening to ease her thoughts

Question 8

Describe how you effectively communicate radiation risks to patients and address their concerns.

Answer 8

I explain the radiation they are receiving is not life threatening, they won’t die from the exposure they are going to receive

Explain how it’s just like taking a picture of their insides, it’s a fast process and not a long exposure

Give them a comparison of her much radiation they are receiving

Question 9

How do you maintain patient comfort and dignity during radiographic exams?

Answer 9

I offer them a gown , cover them with a sheet so they are not exposed

If patient doesn’t need to be flat can fold the pillow to prop their head and make them comfortable

If they have to take some clothes off, I’ll turn my back or step out behind the screen or into adjoining room and tell them to shout when ready

Some rooms which open up out to the waiting room and don’t have an adjoining room , there’s a curtain by the door , so if I ever have to pop out or have a colleague come in I draw the curtain so when the door opens the patient isn’t seen by people in the waiting room on the table in their boxers

Question 10

How do you prioritise imaging requests?

Answer 10

Who’s clinical indications are most concerning
Are they coming from the ward
Is someone waiting for this report immediately

Question 11

Describe a situation where you had to make a quick decision during an emergency X-ray procedure?

Answer 11

Patient was showing signs of passing out , they were swaying from side to side , mumbling and confused

Came for a facial bones and full forearm in A&E after getting in a fight

Was observing they were becoming unconscious, started thinking about my manual handling skills , assisted fall , not catching their fall , but making sure they don’t bang their head on the floor

Then pressed the call button and calling for help

Checked they are breathing

Putting them into recovery position and wait for assistance

Question 12

How do you handle conflicting instructions from healthcare providers regarding imaging protocols?

Answer 12

Explain the protocols to them , suppose it’s a hip fracture, the protocol is if they are over 60 you automatically get a chest X-ray because they are going theatres

But if they have recently had one we don’t need to do if if they have had no problems since

If they persist , I ask the radiologist if they also deny then I tell them it’s a no

If they say yes I then proceed.

If out of hours , and there’s nobody to consult you do it but then record that it was done out of protocol . And inform my seniors

Question 13

How do you troubleshoot technical issues during a radiographic exam to ensure minimal disruption?

Answer 13

Turn on and off

Call colleagues to help see

Report to manager and call a engineer

Call patient into next availability room to proceed

Question 14

How do you prioritise imaging requests?

Answer 14

Who’s clinical indications are most concerning
Are they coming from the ward
Is someone waiting for this report immediately

Question 15

Describe a situation where you had to make a quick decision during an emergency X-ray procedure?

Answer 15

Patient was showing signs of passing out , they were swaying from side to side , mumbling and confused

Came for a facial bones and full forearm in A&E after getting in a fight

Was observing they were becoming unconscious, started thinking about my manual handling skills , assisted fall , not catching their fall , but making sure they don’t bang their head on the floor

Then pressed the call button and calling for help

Checked they are breathing

Putting them into recovery position and wait for assistance

Question 16

How do you handle conflicting instructions from healthcare providers regarding imaging protocols?

Answer 16

Explain the protocols to them , suppose it’s a hip fracture, the protocol is if they are over 60 you automatically get a chest X-ray because they are going theatres

But if they have recently had one we don’t need to do if if they have had no problems since

If they persist , I ask the radiologist if they also deny then I tell them it’s a no

If they say yes I then proceed.

If out of hours , and there’s nobody to consult you do it but then record that it was done out of protocol . And inform my seniors

Question 17

Share an example of a challenging patient case that required you to think creatively to obtain clear images

Answer 17

Had a very active toddler who just wouldn’t stay still , even with mom in a gown holding them

So we had some glow in the dark stickers for kids recently come in , so we stuck some on the tube and made a show of it and we dimmed the light , quickly for exposures and got the image clearly whilst they were distracted looking at the stickers

They were in a cast also so it was a matter of getting the sponges for them to lean on and being awakard position to get that AP in a cast , but we did Simon says at the same time promising then a sticker to take home if they won the game

Question 18

How do you troubleshoot technical issues during a radiographic exam to ensure minimal disruption?

Answer 18

Turn on and off

Call colleagues to help see

Report to manager and call a engineer

Call patient into next availability room to proceed

Question 19

How do you establish rapport and effectively communicate with patients during imaging procedures?

Answer 19

I make to smile , greet them , ask them about their week , get some conversation going , introduce myself by name , talk them through the procedure then during , get things done, I find sometimes if you iniate too much conversation the patient won’t focus and stay still for positioning and in cases the conversation gets hard to end because you don’t want to abruptly cut someone off but it leads to delay which can hold up the work list . So I find keeping it friendly but brief is the trick . Because you need them to listen to instructions and I find patients are more compliant when they trust you and like you .

Question 20

Describe a situation where you encountered a challenging patient and how you handled it.

Answer 20

We had a 17 year old patient come in with an eating disorder , and we where doing an abdomen because had claimed to have swallowed some screws and needles . So as we bring the girl in I proceed to go through the Lmp check , and she told me that she hasn’t had a period for over two months now , so then I explain to her that have to rule out pregnancy to proceed so she’ll have to go back to A&E and have a pregnancy test done there . And she wasn’t happy with this and was refusing to leave the room and was insisting we needed to do the X-ray there and then . So then I explained to her the reason why we need to do the test , as if she is pregnant the radiation can harm a developing baby and I would be liable for that because I am supposed to rule out pregnancy and as her period hasn’t come for 2 months I can’t rule it out. She started getting really worked up and assumed we were asking for the test because we thought of her in a way , so I just comforted her that it’s a routine check that Im required to do But that she remained adamant on not leaving the room . So I asked the radiographer supervising to come try help me explain to her and when talking to the girl we got to understand that she didn’t want to do the test because they would tell her mom and that’s what she was avoiding so we gave her a pot for a urine sample and did the test in the side room used by CT. She wasn’t pregnant so we were able to continue on

in that moment it was about me communicating clearly so she understood, maintaining my duty to follow policies but also showing compassion that I understand how she felt about having to tell her mom and how undignifying that can be. We had the time to do it, we had a empty waiting room and other staff there to man the fort , and there was no need to cause a scene and embarrass the girl , she’s old enough to consent for herself so we weren’t obliged to tell her mom

And it was taking time to listen to her and try understand her that lead to resolution, had we not given her time to explain we could have just ended up up calling in her mom making a scene of her going for the test leading to a stressful situation for her when our values are actually to care for people and improve their wellbeing

However in the circumstances that we were busy and couldn’t do that , I would have shown compassion but explained we are busy for us to do the test ourselves, and advised her on how she could ask the nurses to be discreet about the test for her . Maybe if we are lucky to be fully staffed and have a HCA available that’s not needed for something else I would asked them to do it , whilst we see other patients.

Question 21

How do you ensure patients understand the imaging process and any necessary instructions?

Answer 21

First I explain what I want them to do , then sometimes for clarity whilst talking I’ll show them what I need them to do , I’ll sit in the chair and get into the position to show them exactly what I want them to do . Sometimes patients won’t register your instructions but I find when I act it out they understand the instructions, if I want them to turn their toe in I’ll point to me turning my toe

Question 22

How do you ensure patients understand the imaging process and any necessary instructions?

Answer 22

First I explain what I want them to do , then sometimes for clarity whilst talking I’ll show them what I need them to do , I’ll sit in the chair and get into the position to show them exactly what I want them to do . Sometimes patients won’t register your instructions but I find when I act it out they understand the instructions, if I want them to turn their toe in I’ll point to me turning my toe

Question 23

Discuss your approach to collaborating with radiologists and other healthcare professionals.

Answer 23

Communication talking kindly , using polite tones

Share necessary information

Understanding and appreciating we need each other

Trust

Focusing on the shared goal of patients than proving points and trying to be right

Respect

Question 24

How do you handle conflicting opinions or miscommunication within a healthcare team?

Answer 24

If it’s a matter of justifying exposures and patient safety ( talking to doctors about requests ) , I stand my ground as it’s my duty as a radiographer to be responsible for the radiation protection of patients which can be denying image requests. And I’ll get my colleagues opinions to confirm I’m correct or ask the radiologist for clarity . If it’s at night and there’s nobody to cross che m with I’ll do it but document that I advised against

With our staff , if we can proceed without it being addressed I will leave it and finish the procedure then afterwards pull them for a chat, apologise if I need to and talk so we can understand each other’s perspectives and move on

If it’s miscommunication that could lead to medical errors I will ensure I immediately adddress it and get the correct information understood , sometimes it takes calling the ward or the doctors to speak over the phone to ensure I understand.

Question 25

Describe when your communication skills positively impacted patient care outcomes.

Answer 25

I had a patient come in with their mom , for a CT scan , the mom had cancer which started in her breast and had then started spreading ,the daughter whilst sitting outside was crying and as I went out to call the next patient in to get changed I saw this, after getting the patient I was calling into the changing room, I sat down with the lady and was speaking to her and trying my best to comfort her , whilst having this conversation she then opened up to me about how everyone was pushing her to get some tests done to make sure doesn’t have it too as her sister got tested and did also have it , but she was scared and was refusing

So I then asked explained to her the possible tests they would to to check , blood tests , mammogram maybe and a CT If the other two suggested something

I told her the benefits of it being found early vs too late when symptoms occur

And in the end I was able to convince her to get the screenings done , and I happened to be rotated in mammos when she came in for her screeening and she did have breast cancer but it was still in the very early stages

And if I hadn’t taken the time to talk to her and know what she’s going through she may have never gone for screening and end end up very poorly

Example of being referred for mental health support post partum by a sonographed when Ryan got his scans

Honing in on my experience as a counsellor for the youth even when talking to patients during procedures and adding in snow health promotion talking to patients

Question 26

Describe when your communication skills positively impacted patient care outcomes.

Answer 26

I had a patient come in with their mom , for a CT scan , the mom had cancer which started in her breast and had then started spreading ,the daughter whilst sitting outside was crying and as I went out to call the next patient in to get changed I saw this, after getting the patient I was calling into the changing room, I sat down with the lady and was speaking to her and trying my best to comfort her , whilst having this conversation she then opened up to me about how everyone was pushing her to get some tests done to make sure doesn’t have it too as her sister got tested and did also have it , but she was scared and was refusing

So I then asked explained to her the possible tests they would to to check , blood tests , mammogram maybe and a CT If the other two suggested something

I told her the benefits of it being found early vs too late when symptoms occur

And in the end I was able to convince her to get the screenings done , and I happened to be rotated in mammos when she came in for her screeening and she did have breast cancer but it was still in the very early stages

And if I hadn’t taken the time to talk to her and know what she’s going through she may have never gone for screening and end end up very poorly

Example of being referred for mental health support post partum by a sonographed when Ryan got his scans

Honing in on my experience as a counsellor for the youth even when talking to patients during procedures and adding in snow health promotion talking to patients

Question 27

Share an example of when effective teamwork improved the efficiency of a radiographic examination.

Answer 27

We had a patient come in a motorcyclist from all a crash, with a shopping list they wanted almost everything with all the views , it was a lot of X-rays

Soo 2+ me radiographers decided to team up and handle the patient together

We wrote a list of all the views requested and allocated each person X-rays to do , so we planned it so , that as one person positions and exposes , they will post process and do the labels and markers , whilst the next person goes in and positions for the next with the other centering and collimating

This allowed us to work through the shopping efficiently as it was less pressure on an individual to remember all the views. And rotating around the roles made the process faster than it would if it was one person alone .

As it was a trauma patient a lot of adaptive techniques needed having 3 minds working together , suggesting ideas allowed us to overcome difficult positions faster

Question 28

How do you maintain clear and accurate documentation of patient information and imaging results?

Answer 28

I make sure to ID the patient according to what to have on the screen , and when I confirm it’s the a match , I use the the events box on Cris to document any information from the procedure ,

Question 29

Explain the importance of effective communication in preventing medical errors and enhancing patient safety.

Answer 29

It’s important for the team to communicate with one another when working . we should be able to discuss who is attending which xray , to prevent double exposures .

It’s also important to communicate when we are doing X-rays and calling down ward patients as it prevents people being left short to pat slide short handed due to other colleagues having already in other patient to see.

It’s important we can communicate with doctors regarding image requests without it resulting in conflict and arguments. If I need to get the doctor to write their reasons for a X-ray with more information so I can justify , or decline their image requests when unjustified. I need to do it in a way that they’ll understand be polite so it doesn’t built into hostility.

When faced with safeguarding concerns need to be able to talk to other professionals, so we can work together to guard that patient and get them Healy. Liaising with nurses in A&E so that they don’t let a patient go home whilst I get the safeguarding protocols going

Question 30

Explain the importance of effective communication in preventing medical errors and enhancing patient safety.

Answer 30

It’s important for the team to communicate with one another when working . we should be able to discuss who is attending which xray , to prevent double exposures .

It’s also important to communicate when we are doing X-rays and calling down ward patients as it prevents people being left short to pat slide short handed due to other colleagues having already in other patient to see.

It’s important we can communicate with doctors regarding image requests without it resulting in conflict and arguments. If I need to get the doctor to write their reasons for a X-ray with more information so I can justify , or decline their image requests when unjustified. I need to do it in a way that they’ll understand be polite so it doesn’t built into hostility.

When faced with safeguarding concerns need to be able to talk to other professionals, so we can work together to guard that patient and get them Healy. Liaising with nurses in A&E so that they don’t let a patient go home whilst I get the safeguarding protocols going